1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to orthopedic supports, and more particularly, to a portable and adjustable pneumatic lumbar support.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each day, many people strain muscles while performing a task (sitting, standing and lifting), be it at home, in the garden, exercising or resulting from overall poor health of the individual. With the stringent work schedules many have today, eating fast foods and increasing our body weight places our lower backs in a strain, thereby reducing the opportunities to engage in meaningful exercise. Because of these work schedules, exercising has become more of a desire, need and want instead of a daily routine. Without the opportunity to exercise, the fatty foods consumed often results in obesity and further prevents individuals from strengthening our bodies as we should.
In conjunction with these daily issues we tend to become lazy, and unwilling to motivate ourselves to maintain our bodies. This leads to physical ailments and/or injuries, such as muscle pulls or strains or sprains, slipping disks, impinging disks, forward and backward leaning of the body, shoulder slumping or slouching, most of which allows the abdominal muscles, buttocks and tissues to move outward, thereby placing strain on the lower back. Such strains or sprains, ailments and/or injuries ultimately result in visits with a doctor, chiropractor and/or a physical therapist to thoroughly treat and remedy the condition.
Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of insurance schemes that either prohibit or discourage regular visitation to health care professionals. In addition, many people are too preoccupied with work or miscellaneous activities to adequately care for themselves or seek appropriate health care attention. As such, health care, in general, and back care, in particular, are largely ignored until the moment the back area is injured.
Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which one can perform pelvic tilt exercises and stretches on their own, either at home or in the office, as part of a regular exercise regimen or health maintenance routine, without requiring costly services and equipment.
In the related art, several devices are disclosed that describe a back support device. Of particular interest is U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,095, issued in the name of Daggett et al., in which a portable and adjustable pneumatic lumbar support is provided for use on a floor, and is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully rewritten. The benefits and improvement of the Daggett et al. reference show the advantages of utilizing a leg-raising cushion having a hollow, inflatable bladder in linear alignment. Consequently, the present invention builds upon such developments, providing improvements for use in tandem, table top, or institutional applications.